On A Tangled Web
by Annamonk
Summary: Hermione helps Draco avoid an arranged marriage. This is not my beach, but I enjoy building castles.
1. Chapter 1

She found him teaching in a little school nestled into the Olympic peninsula. It wasn't a Malfoy kind of place. At least, it wasn't the kind of place she'd imagined finding Malfoy. There were little cabins situated around a larger building constructed from logs. Most of the students were recovering from obscurial removal. They're magic was wild and unpredictable. The thing that stood out most to her trained eye was that the majority of the students were muggleborn.

Definitely not where she'd expected to find Draco Malfoy.

It really wasn't so odd that his mother had been unable to find him. The older witch had cashed in her life debt with Harry to find her son, but Harry had been needed at home with his wife. Their baby was due any day. Hermione had taken on the task to free her best friend from the shackles of obligation.

She had to bring Malfoy to his mother, but this was more complicated than dragging a spoiled wastrel home. He was doing good work and was a well respected member of this community. She glanced at the small school nestled into the overwhelming green of its surroundings and considered her next move.

Failure would leave Harry as little more than a squib. She couldn't allow that, but she owed the man Draco Malfoy had become to give him a chance before she forced the issue. She took a deep breath and strolled down the path toward the school.

She was shown to a room with comfortable furniture done in soothing shades of blue. Even the paintings were soothing seascapes. She sighed. It seemed wrong to pace in this room, but the charms set in it pushed against her skin, leaving her agitated.

"I wasn't expecting you, Granger." Malfoy leaned against the door jamb and examined her from head to toe. "I wasn't expecting anyone really."

"Your mother called in Harry's life debt." Hermione shrugged and watched him saunter into the room. "She wants you to visit."

"If she called in Harry's life debt, why are you here?" Malfoy settled onto one of the over stuffed couches, completely at ease.

"Luna's due any day. He won't leave her side." Hermione fussed with her sleeve. "So, I volunteered. It's more my skill set anyway. Harry's an damn fine auror, but, after all, finding people is what I do."

"Finding people?" Draco raised one brow and sat forward.

"I'm a bounty hunter for lack of a better term." Hermione shrugged. "I joined the aurors with Harry, but it turns out I'm pants at following orders."

She felt something warm bloom inside her at his chuckle. It was such an honest response. He smiled at her and shook his head.

"You were never one to follow orders. I could have told you that." Malfoy's lips twitched. "I suppose you know why my mother sent you."

"Your father is dying. He's been released from Azkaban." She focused on the facts and didn't try to manipulate him with false sentiment. "Your mother wants you home."

"And she's willing to make a squib of Potter to get what she wants." He closed his eyes and took deep breaths. Hermione watched as he clenched and relaxed his fists repeatedly.

"She is rather determined." Hermione sat next to him, leaving a few inches of space between them.

"If I politely decline to return, you will force me. Won't you?" Draco opened his eyes and stared directly into hers.

"Harry shouldn't become a squib because of this." Hermione sighed. "I will do what I must. My work doesn't leave much room for empathy. It isn't pretty. I think you deserve better, and I don't want it to come to that. I didn't sneak in and abscond with you."

"You're here to ask nicely." Draco smirked. "My mother always knows the perfect weapons to use."

"Weapons?" Hermione cocked her head to the side. "You think I'm a weapon?"

"I know you are." Draco sighed. "Will you let Potter fade magically? No. If I try to run or to fight, you will win because protecting Potter is what you do best. My mother couldn't have hired you to collect me, so she manipulated you instead."

"Why not just go back with me for an hour? Is that really too much to do for your mother?" Hermione watched as this affable man, this once was a malicious Malfoy man, and blinked. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Are you counting to ten?"

"Ten or ten thousand. It doesn't seem to matter. You lot won the bloody war, but you haven't learned a thing about the insanity of being a pureblood." Malfoy laughed low and bitter. "This won't be some quick visit. My mother plans to force my hand. She will see to the survival of her house and my father's. It's all that matters to her now. This room is designed to relax the occupants. May we continue this conversation in my lodging?"

Draco watched as Hermione Granger walked around his cabin. He could see her agile mind working as she observed his quiet, little home. It made him oddly uncomfortable as if he'd unpacked all his baggage for her to peruse. She didn't push him to talk. She just marinated in her thoughts and observations.

She had an agenda and a plan. Several plans. She probably had contingency plans for her contingency plan if he were being totally honest. Hermione Granger would not fail Harry Potter. It was probably codified in some obscure prophecy somewhere.

She was on a mission. He knew there was no fighting it. His freedom was at an end. His thoughts, his goals, his dreams simply didn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

He had no desire to go back to England, but he couldn't allow Potter to be harmed by his mother's determined ambitions. He knew his mother loved him, but her affection was warped by her beliefs. There was some pureblood darling waiting for him to step foot on Malfoy land. The spell would bind him before he had a chance to take a breath.

"She's wants me there for him to make amends before the end." Draco glanced down at his hands. "But there's more."

"Astoria Greengrass." Hermione spun on the ball of her left foot and smirked at him. "I looked into it."

"Then you know it's a trap." Draco took a deep breath, but he couldn't find it in himself to rage at Granger.

"I do." She nodded. "I also don't think it's right. You should be free to pursue this life. It seems to suit you."

"It does, but my family is done indulging me." Draco sighed. "Once Miss Greengrass is attached to me, I will have to live up to my responsibilities as a Malfoy."

"There's an obvious loophole." Granger frowned. "Are you seeing anyone?"

"No." Draco shook his head. "I've always known where my life was heading. Letting myself get attached to someone seemed like a bad idea."

"So, you're resigned to a future with the witch your parents have chosen?" Granger frowned.

"I will not drag some unprepared witch into my family. My mother would destroy her." Draco sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Narcissa Malfoy is not going to step aside easily."

"Your father's health is failing. I verified his release from Azkaban was compassionate." She turned and looked out the window. He appreciated her effort to allow him some privacy in his grief. "If you want to see him, I can offer an option to see him without being trapped."

"Are you going to sneak me into St. Mungo's?" He found himself smiling at the thought. "That wouldn't save Potter. My mother will require my presence at the stones."

"I'm not offering to sneak you anywhere. You're most likely going to think I've lost my mind, and it's the kind of impulsive behavior I've always loathed." She chuckled with the warm low sound of actual amusement. "I'm offering to hand fast with you. As I understand it, that will give you a year and a day to do as you please without being vulnerable to your mother's plans."

"You're willing to marry me?" Draco blinked. "You do realize that for that to work we would have to be intimate?"

"I know it's not ideal. We barely know each other." She shrugged. "I think you've become a man that deserves options, and I don't much care for being used as a weapon."

"A hand fasting would require you to live with me for the year." Draco watched as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. "The magic involved doesn't allow you to use it. There has to be honesty in it."

"I'm aware. I'm willing to try this for a year. I'm willing to take this seriously." She clenched her fists against her sides. "No one wants me. I'm not exactly eager to please. I'm combative. I'm never going to care about my hair. I dated Viktor. We are solid friends now. The same for Ron. Adrian Pucey wanted arm candy. Blaise Zabini wanted the war heroine without the complications. He's happily married to Ginny now. I don't hex him at high holidays. After that, I quit trying. I have a good life. I have good friends. I am happy enough. I am well aware that you'll move on, but I'm a Gryffindor. We tilt at windmills."

Draco licked his lips. There was something about Hermione Granger that had always appealed to him. He could see that this was costing her. She didn't care to be vulnerable. He didn't much care for it either.

"I might want to keep you." Draco walked closer to her. "I might want to build a complicated life filled with simple pleasures with you. It's possible."

"Windmills are just asking for it, aren't they?" She smiled, and he saw the truth of it in her eyes.

"I'm a mess. I work here because it's the only thing that makes me feel human. I'm still an arse. I'm still Draco Malfoy." He cupped her cheek and stared into eyes. "I'll hex Zabini on the high holidays. It's something we can both enjoy."

"So, we are going to do this?" She tilted her head. "You're sure?"

He studied her face for a moment and nodded slowly. He knew a great deal about Hermione Granger, but there was more to her than his childhood observations and the facts of her life. There was something about her that intrigued him.

"I am not the boy you remember, and I doubt that you are anything like the witch I imagined you to be." He stroked his thumb along her cheek. "I think I am going to enjoy this year with you. I hope you feel the same way."

Waiting for more torturously slow conversation seemed pointless, so he closed that last fraction of distance between them and kissed her.

Her lips were soft against his. She made a sound deep in her throat and pressed her body to his. The flutter of her magic was warm on his skin. He felt her hands press against his waist as she curled her fingers into the cotton of his shirt.

When he broke the kiss he rested his forehead against hers. They stood there with their breath mingling. He felt no need to soothe or cajole her. It was comfortable and soothing just to be with her.

"There are no stones here." Draco frowned and dropped his hand from her face to her shoulder. "Where do we do this?"

"There are a few places to consider. We will need an in between time and an in between place." She grinned and stepped back. "It's a good thing it's summer. I'll make the arrangements. Will tomorrow at sunset work for you?"

Draco managed to nod. She stroked his cheek and apparated away without so much as a by your leave. It was decidedly odd to be swept up in a Gryffindorish plan. It was going to be a very exciting year.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _I sat down to write more of Crazy For You. I really did. I wanted to write something to cheer my sister up. She's amazing and has far too much on her plate at the moment. I was sure my muse would cooperate, but the next chapter was not forthcoming. My muse is completely convinced that my sister needs this story._

 _She's a very contrary muse._

 _I hope you all enjoy this little romp._

 _-Anna_


	2. Chapter 2

Harry stroked Luna's hair as she snuggled against him. She was sleeping fitfully. Apparently nargles plagued pregnant women and caused them to have a difficult time sleeping in the last trimester.

He knew Hermione would be home with Malfoy in tow soon enough, but he felt selfish for asking her to do it. It was his debt she was paying. She was his best friend. She was family to him really, and he'd let her step in and do his job.

"Stop fretting, Harry." Luna blinked up at him. "Hermione is going to be happy when she comes back. She's going to be the best auntie our children will have."

* * *

Narcissa checked over the spell work again. The Greengrass family hadn't batted an eye over her use of blood magic. The lure of Malfoy money was more than enough to have them agreeing to anything.

She watched young Astoria stroll along the garden path. She was refined and polite. She was not closely related to them. Her aspirations were to be a society wife as her mother and all those before her had been. She was the perfect choice.

Knowing that the girl was ideal didn't stop the guilt plaguing Narcissa.

She'd watched what this magic had done to her sister and to herself. Both of them caught in marriages that limited their lives.

Bellatrix had wanted only to serve her beloved dark lord. Forcing her to accept Lestrange has broken her. She'd loathed her husband.

She hadn't minded being bound to Lucius. He was a traditionalist and devoted to pleasing his father, but she could accept those peccadilloes. They'd learned to love each other. It might have been a good life without Tom Riddle's insanity. Her husband's bad choices and inability to see her as an equal had left them floundering with their son marked and in danger.

She took several deep breaths and in clenched her fists. The spell work wasn't at fault. Circumstances had been what they were at that time. It would be different for Draco.

* * *

Draco looked down at the port key in his hand. It wasn't the expected piece of junk. The owl that delivered it had been plain and the brown paper wrapped around it hadn't been special. The card with the activation time had been nothing more than plain card stock with simple script on it.

Nothing about the delivery had been remarkable, but he wished he'd opened the small package earlier. This portkey was remarkable. It was a delicately carved bit of lapis. He examined the exquisitely carved dragon and knew he would always treasure it.

He closed his hand around the small stone dragon. Granger was showing him her commitment in this lovely piece. He hadn't thought about the details of her plan, but she had. He glanced around his simple cabin. He had grown up in luxury and lavishness. He wouldn't have understood how remarkable this gift was then. He turned the little statue over and stared at her initials worked carefully into the scales. It was all the more precious for having been made by her own hands.

He needed a gift for her. She was giving up a year of her life to protect him from parental machinations. He looked around his cabin. There wasn't anything of real value in this place. He preferred a simple life now, but it left him with very little from which to choose.

He opened his fingers and stared down at the tiny dragon.

He had no time or ability to make her something so remarkable. Hermione Granger was a warrior. She spent her time brining in the very worst of the worst to face the Ministry's justice, but she still had a kind and generous heart. He held the proof of it in his hand. He didn't deserve the sacrifice she was making for him. He didn't deserve her kindness.

He rubbed his finger along the carved scales and thought of his great grandmother. She had always called him her adorable dragon and given him honest affection. He remembered her small smile and her quiet grace. She'd moved unobtrusively in their world. Rosalind Rosier née MacMillan had been a witch of worth. She'd passed away a week after his eighth birthday, but she'd given him something before she'd breathed her last.

He walked to the chest of drawers where he stored the ephemera of his life and took a deep breath. The top drawer slid open easily and he stared at the rosewood box. It was highly polished but it was plain. His great grandmother had kept her favorite treasure in a box that drew no attention to itself.

He plucked the box from the drawer and felt his magic prick as the protective wards pressed against him. He could still remember the papery feel of his great grandmother's skin as she draped her arms over his shoulders to help him open the box. He closed his eyes and practically felt the warm rush of her breath against his temple.

"My adorable Dragon." Her voice was the only steady part left of her. "I'm giving this to you. It's my greatest treasure. My very best friend made it for me. She charmed it. It looks like a simple scarf, but if you hold it up to the light, you will see the real magic of it.

I wasn't allowed to see her after my betrothal. Your great grandfather said he didn't care for her Hufflepuff ways. I knew I had to let her go. She was a muggleborn. She wouldn't have survived his ire.

Find a special witch for it, my little dragon."

He forced his eyes open. The memory faded away. There was no question that Hermione was a special witch.

Draco opened the box. The cream colored silk was slightly iridescent as it lay there in the velvet lined box. He had used the thing as an escape during the war. He would lift it to the light and watch some small vignette of magical life to escape from the horror of his own. It had helped until he'd seen her blood spilled across his floor. Her screams had made a mockery of any escape. The realization that surviving the war would never be enough for him had stolen his ability to seek out quick relief. He'd been fundamentally changed.

Giving the scarf to Granger felt right somehow. He left it folded in the box. His bride to be would appreciate the spell work on it if nothing else.

* * *

Tabitha Kowalski looked around the small cove. It wasn't a warm beach. It was a small strip of sand protected by looming grey rocks and deep green forests on one side and the deep blue sea on the other. Oh, there was magic enough in the place. It would serve its purpose, but she glanced over at Hermione and wondered why this was the place her friend had chosen.

"You're sure about this?" Tabitha leaned back against the rock at her back. "You're putting a lot on the line for this wizard. Does he know how dangerous you are?"

"He knows more than most." Hermione smoothed her hands along her hips. The fabric swirled around her. The blue fabric darkened as it flowed down from her shoulders to the embroidered waves of navy at the bottom of the skirt. "I'm offering him protection."

"So the danger is part of the attraction then?" Tabitha shook her head and tucked a few stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear. "Is he one of those?"

"He's a good man that needs a little help." Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You're marrying a man to protect him." Tabitha waved her hand around their immediate surroundings. "The two of you don't have the best history. I have a right to be worried about this. You're one of my closest friends."

"Love didn't exactly work out for me." Hermione turned away from her. "I'm tired of pretending there's a happy ending for someone like me. My closest friends and family are afraid of me."

"I'm not afraid of you. Luna isn't either." Tabitha took a step toward her friend. "You're different than they are. That's all. You survived torture that should have killed you, but you didn't take time to recover. You threw yourself back into the war. It's remarkable."

"Remarkable doesn't keep you warm at night." Hermione turned toward her again, unshed tears bright in her eyes.

"This won't either. He's a pureblood, so he'll stay for the year and a day. He knows the traditions and honors them. He will never speak ill of you, but you get nothing from this. You won't use a pregnancy to trap him. Why hurt yourself like this?" Tabitha watched Hermione closely. "Make me understand."

"I get to pretend for a little while." Hermione lost the battle with herself and tears rolled down her cheeks. "For one year, I get to have an almost normal thing. There's a chance that some wizard out there will be as silent in thought as I am. Luna found acceptance with Harry. He doesn't see the things she does, but he accepts it. You both have a chance at normal. This is mine."

"You're entering a marriage of convenience for the illusion of normalcy." Tabitha sucked in her breath through her teeth. "Of course you are. Your magic might have a mind of its own, but that won't send every guy running for the floo."

"Powerful witches are wonderful, but they generally wind up alone." Hermione shrugged. "It's a patriarchal society. No man wants to take a back seat to his wife."

Tabitha nodded. She knew Hermione expected it. She watched her friend fuss over her robes and kept her mouth shut. Perhaps this wizard would see what a treasure fate was handing him.

* * *

Hermione felt the charge in the air just before the portkey deposited Draco nearby. She turned and managed to smile. She wasn't a coward, but she was nervous.

She looked into his eyes and realized she wasn't the only nervous one. Draco could put on wonderful façades, but his eyes told the truth. How he had survived in Voldemort's service was beyond her.

"You must be Draco." Tabitha stepped toward him. "She really does look beautiful. You're right about that."

Hermione watched as Draco's nerves turned to panic.

"I'm a natural at mind reading. I can pluck most people's thoughts right out of their head." Tabitha shrugged sheepishly. "I forget to let people talk when I'm nervous."

"That's a rare gift." Draco smiled gently at Tabitha. "It can't be easy to live with."

Hermione ignored their exchange of words and watched the gentle way Draco dealt with Tabitha. He really had changed. She knew that he could see Tabitha for the threat she was, but he didn't recoil from her.

Hermione stepped closer to them, and Tabitha grabbed her hand, forcing her to fully join them. The feel of her skin was a comfort, but Draco's smile was better than a warming charm. She took a deep breath and tried to figure out what they were talking about.

"Oh, we have our circles and our mounds and lots of places you would find familiar, but there is something special about the places that are in between." Tabitha moved her hand in an arc. "Land and sea become one thing here, but they still remain unique."

"So, it's symbolic rather than power based?" Draco looked around them.

"It's not ley based." Hermione took a deep breath. "Ley lines tend to like me a bit much."

She saw the moment it registered.

"You're that powerful?" Draco examined her closely.

"I am." She nodded. "The natural magic in this place will be more than enough to seal our vows."

"Blaise didn't care for being second best." Draco chuckled. "He's a bloody fool. None of us have ever been even close to besting you."

Hermione blushed and looked down at her sand covered toes. Draco grabbed her hand and stroked his fingers along her wrist. A sense of peace and security filled her.

"Even dragons nest." Draco whispered into her ear. Hermione looked up into his storm grey eyes and felt hope bloom in her chest.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _I hope you all enjoy this. Things are settling down in my life now, so updates may be more frequent if my muse cooperates._

 _My sister compared me to the sun and likened herself to the moon. If I accept this posit, it is only because I see it differently. The sun burns and the moon reflects that light. If that were all the moon did, it would be boring. The moon provides the very heart beat of our planet. It pulls the water to the land, it gives us comfort that we are never alone, and it reminds us that change is inevitable and beautiful. The moon guards our dreams and drives us mad. All the sun does is burn._

 _I love my sister. She is beautiful and kind. She loves with every bit of her soul. Her talents are myriad and rich. I wish she could see herself as I see her._

 _Read the stories of Trinkisme. You will know I am right._

 _Thanks,_

 _Anna_


	3. Chapter 3

Draco took a deep breath. The scent of pine and wet earth mixed with the salt of the sea. It was oddly soothing. Spending years in this part of the world had opened his senses to many things. He pushed his toes into the thick sand and felt the water swirl around his ankles.

The power of the place was different. It hadn't been harnessed like the power at the stones his family used. There was something wild and raw about it. It curled around them slowly. There was no demand to it. He'd spent years serving the power of his family's stones. There was a yearning in this place.

He felt it flowing up through him. He'd spent most of his life wanting to be better, wanting to be more, but this sensation was so different. There was no draw to power, no urge to dominate. There was only the willingness to share and accept.

He opened his eyes. The sun has begun to dip into the ocean and decorating the sky with pinks and reds. The sunset behind her should have left her in silhouette, but he could still see her features clearly.

Her eyes were still closed. The twin fans of her lashes fluttered a bit as if she was struggling to keep them closed. He fought the urge to clasp her hands, but kept them the tiniest bit apart. These moments of self examination and intimacy before they took the final step to bind themselves weren't observed in most rituals, but he understood why she had insisted on them.

She was still afraid that he would reject her.

The boy he had been might have walked away from what she was offering, but the man knew better. He closed the distance between their hands and smiled as her eyes flew open. He didn't gawk at their liquid amber glow. He was fairly sure his own had gone mercurial.

He could feel his magic swirling around him and hers fluttering against his, but, beyond that he felt the magic of the world around them still. Understanding dawned, and he he knew what to do. This place that was in between was not harnessed by stones. What it offered, it offered freely.

"I am here in this place that is sea and land and shore, to offer myself to you." He saw her eyes widen as he discarded the carefully worded traditional vows. "I offer you the place at my side."

A spout of water rose from the sea and wrapped around their hands. The cool slide of it changed as it turned into a silken ribbon of bright blue. He smiled as Hermione studied it.

Her friend had the traditional ribbons. He knew she'd expected to use them. This was so much better.

"I offer you all that I have of value." He smirked as a trail of grass and sand swirled around their hands and tickled at their skin before becoming a dark green ribbon.

"I offer you my mind, my body, and my magic." He felt a brush of wind around their joined hands and grinned as a white ribbon appeared with the others. "Will you accept me as I am?"

Hermione licked her lips. He had caught her off guard and flat footed. There were first times for everything.

"I will." She dragged in a deep breath as the ribbons on their hands tightened. "I am here with you at this time when day becomes night, to offer myself to you."

He smiled at her, encouraging her to continue with a gentle squeeze to her fingers.

"I offer you the place at my side." A bright bit of golden light pulled itself free of the sunset and settle on their hands as a golden ribbon. "I offer all that I have of value."

He heard the groan from the cliffs behind them and glanced away from her to see the irregular bits of rock dancing around their flesh as they slowly formed a silver ribbon. He looked back up at her as it joined the others. She was blushing.

"I offer my mind, my body, and my magic to you." She took a deep breath and licked her gaze with his. "Will you accept me as I am?"

He felt the magic well up around them. It pressed against him. He looked at Hermione and saw the trepidation in her eyes. She was still worried that he would walk away.

"I will." He spoke the words and a glowing ribbon wrapped around all the others and set them to glowing as well.

Nothing traditional had passed their lips, but he felt the acceptance of the deep and natural magic around them. He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly. She pressed up into him. Their hands were trapped between their bodies, but the feeling of her wrapping around him was almost physical.

Her lips slid from his and he felt her breath on his cheek. The tumult of her curls caressed and blinded him. He didn't see the sunset, but he knew that it had.

"What did we do?" Hermione's words were almost lost in the rhythm of the waves lapping at the shore.

"I'm may be wrong, but the ribbons lead me to believe we bound ourselves in the rite of handfasting." Draco pulled back and looked down into her still sparkling eyes. "I know I didn't do the traditional thing, but it felt wrong."

"I should have remembered that your impulsive." She rolled her eyes. "Intent is what matters."

He stroked one of her curls back from her cheek with the hand that wasn't still holding hers and tucked it behind her ear. She was his wife. Magic had granted him a year and a day to convince her to stay for a lifetime.

* * *

 _ **Author's Note**_

 _I know it's short, but it seemed complete. I hope you all like it. I'm working on Crazy For You, so I'm stuck in wedding mode. I enjoyed the simplicity of this one._

 _Do you think Hermione knows what Draco is up to? Let me know._

 _Thanks so much for reading my stories. I'm not great about responding to reviews, but I love them. I wanted to let you all know how much I appreciate you._

 _-Anna_


	4. Chapter 4

Draco watched as Hermione hugged her friend. The blonde smirked at him over her shoulder, and he knew she'd tuned into his thoughts. He took a deep breath and waited for her to tell Hermione everything.

The witches broke apart. He waited for accusing eyes to turn his way, but they never did. Hermione squeezed her friend's hand and headed toward him with a smile on her face.

"Isn't your friend coming with us?" Draco looked back at the blonde witch as he took Hermione's hand and laced his fingers with hers.

"Tabitha has to be at work tomorrow, and it is our wedding night." Hermione blushed and looked down at their joined hands. "We need to consummate this bond before I take you to your father."

"Let's leave my father out of this." Draco pulled her closer and tilted her head up with free hand. "What's between us isn't part of a chore list."

He lowered his lips to hers and felt her smile against him before she returned his kiss. Her free hand slid up from his waist to rest just above his heart. He was sure she could feel it beating through his flesh, through his bones. The thrum of the ocean and the rustle of wind through the leaves faded away as he reveled in the joy of kissing her.

He felt her breath flutter across his cheek in a warm caress and pulled back to look down into her face. She blinked up at him and smiled shyly. Her lips were flushed and full from his attentions and the brisk sea air had played havoc with her hair. She looked as he'd always imagined her to be, wild and winsome.

"It's a bit cold to do this here." He nuzzled his head into her shoulder and nipped her ear. "I'd rather take my time worshipping you."

"I have a portkey for you. My cottage isn't as grand as your home, but I hope you'll be comfortable there." She pulled at her sleeve and slid out another exquisite carving. This time it was a small shield made of blue grey stone with an otter and a dragon forming a circle carved into it. The whole thing was hanging from a leather cord. "You will be able to come and go as you please. You can't apparate to my home. It's warded against that."

"Why?" Draco took the necklace from her. "Isn't that rather limiting?"

"I need a place where I feel safe. Most of my friends have no idea where I live. I maintain a flat in London for appearances." Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "You and I have the only portkeys to my real home. They can carry up to six people if we should ever feel the need."

Draco nodded as he took in this information. He'd never considered having a flat for appearances. His mother would have seen right through such a ruse, but perhaps her Gryffindor friends accepted what they saw without looking too closely.

He heard her mumble something and felt the familiar tug behind his navel as he was wrenched, swirling through time and space, to land on unsteady feet.

He blinked up into the full dark of night and looked over at Hermione. There was the sound of water falling and the distinct scent of a forest in the air. Her hands moved and blue white lights poured through the night toward them. He saw a path and a building that rose up along the rocks above them. That patroni guarded the place was strange. That there were foxes and otters and small dragons amongst them was mind boggling.

"You have more than one patronus?" Draco looked over at her and raised a brow.

"It depends on the memory I use." She shrugged. "Most people don't know about it, but I'm not keeping secrets here. This is my safe place. She flicked her wrist and lights lit in the windows. Warm amber light shone from windows that rose above them.

"Where are we?" Draco looked up trying to determine how big this supposed cottage really was.

"Wales." Hermione shrugged. "It's more impressive in the daylight."

Draco nodded, but didn't comment. This wasn't the kind of place he'd imagined. He'd thought they would be living in a decidedly muggle environment.

"The goblins sold it to me after I paid my debt to them." His wife smirked. "They gave me a great deal. It turns out that having a witch with my skill set on retainer is worth quite a lot to them."

"Skill set?" He grabbed her hand. "I thought you were a bounty hunter."

"I do that, too." Hermione chuckled and the warmth of the sound called to something in him. "I have three elves. They are bound to me. I didn't realize how hard it was for an elf to be without the bond when I was younger. They're a bit skittish. They were all abused. Just be kind and they will warm up to you eventually."

Draco listened to her talk with half an ear as the wonder of the place gave way to the knowledge that Hermione was nervous. She was nattering on to avoid moving forward. He didn't need to know where the potions laboratory was at the moment. He stroked her wrist with his thumb and considered what to do with his witch. Tossing her over his shoulder and carrying her off to the nearest flat surface would satisfy the magical demands clawing at him, but it wouldn't ease whatever was causing Hermione to rattle off facts and observations at an alarming rate.

"It's a lovely place." Draco cupped her cheek with his free hand. "When can I see the inside of it?"

She blinked up at him and blushed. It wasn't comely. Her cheeks blazed with her reaction. She looked feverish. He fought back the urge to chuckle because this witch was so damned compelling and so perfectly beautiful that he'd expected her to be lovely in all things. It was a relief, really, to find a flaw.

"I'm nervous." She looked just past him. He knew the trick well. If the person you used it on wasn't watching you, it worked, but he was watching her intently.

"Do you think I won't like the decor?" Draco tilted his head. "I imagine a fair amount of bookcases."

"I have a library." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I've never had anyone here with me like this. I've never shared my home. Luna and Harry have visited. Tabitha has been here once or twice. I'm nervous."

"That's a pretty small group." Draco followed as she took tiny steps up the path toward her home.

"They understand." Hermione shrugged. "After the war, when my magic didn't have to sustain me. I started having flares of accidental magic. Most of them weren't pleasant. Ron wanted me to allow the healers at Saint Mungo's to bleed off the extra power and cauterize my core."

"That's torture." Draco felt his magic flare in response.

"It was a practice used to force witches into obedience at various points in history. My issues were severe. I wasn't handling anything well. The healers thought it was my best option." Hermione shook her head. "Luna saved me from it. Harry listened to her about what would happen to me. He went to Kingsley, and they managed to help me. Ron brought up my fitness to serve as an auror. He made our superiors wary of me. He didn't see it as a betrayal. He was trying to protect me from myself."

Draco rolled his eyes, but kept his thoughts to himself. He stepped closer to her and wrapped a arm around her. The reality of what she went through in the war would have pushed most witches and wizards into insanity. He knew enough about what magic could do from helping the obscurials to imagine the horrors of her experiences. He watched their breath escape in foggy gasps into the early morning air as his mind filled in the information his wife was hesitant to share.

"Powerful witches tend to spend their lives alone. I've told you how things went for me." She frowned and looked down at their feet. "I want this so much, Draco. I want this to work. I said this was to protect you, but I had ulterior motives. I saw the life you were leading, the good you were doing. I know how intelligent you are. When we were saying our vows, I wanted more than a year and a day. What if my intentions made this permanent? If we consummate these vows, you might very well be trapped."

Draco took a deep breath because Hermione was nervous, and he didn't want her upset. He wanted her very much in the moment with him. He licked his lips and decided that honesty was his best course.

"I want this to be forever, too." Draco smiled as her head snapped up and he took in her wide eyed appearance. "Even if I didn't want forever with you, I'd pick being trapped with you over being trapped with Astoria Greengrass."

Suddenly, his arms were full as his witch kissed him. He was vaguely aware of the stone steps they walked up. He heard the slam of the front door against a wall. He noticed the scent of lemons and beeswax as they made their way through rooms filled with warm wood and bright colors. Another door opened and Hermione broke away from him.

Her lips were swollen and her chest was heaving as she tried to catch her breath.

He wanted to sink his fingers in the wild tumult of her hair and ravish her mouth again. Kissing his wife was his new favorite pass time. She moved her hand near her throat and he heard the sound of fabric sliding on fabric as her outer robe parted and slid to the ground. The gossamer silk underneath it was embroidered with tiny flowers at the hem and cuffs. He dragged in his own ragged breath.

She was radiant.

The traditional gown covered her completely, but there was something deeply erotic about it. The thin fabric wasn't sheer. It didn't cling. He'd seen her in less. Her school uniform had been more revealing, but seeing her in this state of dishabille made this moment the most fervid and meaningful moment of his life.

In her home, surrounded by warm wood and sumptuous fabrics and the biggest bed he'd ever seen, with the sound of falling water and tinkling bells filling the air, he was going to strip her bare and make her his. There was no doubt in him. He waved his hand and vanished most of his clothing. Her fingers rose between them and gently settled on him. The tingle of her magic slid along his skin in the wake of her delicate caress. He felt her tracing the scars from Potter's flirtation with darkness, and he didn't mind. They were both covered in scars. They were warriors. For the first time in his life he felt no shame as he bared himself. She knew the worst of him, and he would spend the rest of his life trying to be his best for her.

She pressed a kiss to the skin of his shoulder. He felt the glide of her tongue against his skin and reveled in it. The rush of her warm breath across the skin she had dampened was bliss.

He'd done this before. He'd been with other witches and even a couple of muggles on his post war sojourn of self discovery. He'd always enjoyed it, but there was something more in this moment. He felt his magic stir as hers played along his skin. He felt the surging darkness and the incandescent light swirl within him. He settled on hand on her hip and let his magic flow out around her. She hummed and her head fell back baring her throat to him. He kissed the skin over her rapidly beating pulse and let his thoughts go. He didn't need to analyze this.

The seductive opacity of her undergarment has reached its end. He gathered the fabric up in his hands inch by inch. Her shapely calves have way to toned thighs. He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes as he gathered the fabric up to her waist. She nodded and he pulled the gown free from her body and sent it floating carefully to the window seat across the room.

She was blushing again. He stroked the flush below her clavicle with his fingertips. There was no need to rush this.

"You're beautiful." He stepped closer to her and cupped one of her breasts in his hand. "I'm the luckiest man alive."

"I'm not." She blinked rapidly and looked beyond him. "I do have a mirror or two."

"You are beautiful." Draco closed the distance between them and pulled her against his chest gently. "Your hair is all wild and wind blown. It beckons to me. I want to drag you to my lips with my fingers buried in it. Your skin is soft and marked with reminders of the strength that dwells within. I want to press my lips to every inch of it."

"If you tell me how lovely my smile is or how perfect my eyes are..." Hermione glared at him as he pressed his fingers against her lips.

"You're beautiful." Draco grinned at the power of her glare. "Just accept it."

Dropping his hand, he replaced it with his mouth. Their magic pulsed around them as he slid his tongue along her lower lip. He backed her up to the bed and tumbled them onto it. It wasn't smooth or suave, and he didn't care. They bounced on the mattress. She giggled up at him, and he smiled back.

"I wasn't expecting this." Hermione cupped his shoulders and ran her palms along his skin until they rested on his biceps.

"My manly physique?" Draco kissed the tip of her nose.

"I thought we'd get it done without much fuss." She blushed deeply again. "I didn't expect it to be like this."

"I'm glad we've exceeded your expectations." He pressed a kiss to her temple before lowering his head and nibbling on her earlobe.

She undulated beneath him as he continued his gentle assault on her ear and neck. He listened to each breath and the inarticulate sounds that escaped her when he hit a sensitive spot. Each deep breath, each tiny utterance was a victory for him.

Their magic flowed through and around them weighting the air with anticipation. He gasped as she clutched his head and dragged his mouth away from her delicate collarbones. Her eyes were sparkling with power again. He raised a hand and stroked his finger along her cheek. His magic sparkled along her skin in bursts of silver, blue, and green light.

He felt something bloom in him. Even when he'd experimented with sex based magic in those desperate years at Hogwarts, he'd never felt anything approaching this. His power felt renewed and brighter as it flowed through him, but he simply didn't care. He wanted to remember this moment always. She was beyond lovely and willingly in his arms.

He let his fingers slide along her skin he felt the ridges of her scars. They pricked at his magic. The urge to protect her grew within him. He knew she was capable of dealing with most threats, but it didn't matter to this instinctual side of him.

His magic swirled around the room. He felt hers dancing with it. The definition of his and hers began to blur. Their magic cradled them and flared with every touch.

He quit dwelling on what was happening and gave himself over to the moment.

Luxuriating in her passion, he kissed her deeply and joined their bodies together.


End file.
